Visitation

Understanding Your Visitation Rights

When granting sole physical custody to one parent, as long as the non-custodial
is a "fit" parent and is not a threat to the safety or wellbeing
of the child, then
the court will appoint them scheduled visitation times. This allows the parent to see their child and spend time with them on
a regular basis. Visitation may be also be granted to grandparents in
some circumstances so they have the right to visit their grandchildren as well.

How will my visitation schedule be decided?

If the participating parties can all agree on a suitable visitation agreement,
then the courts will not need to intervene. If the two parents cannot
agree, the court will order a mandated visitation schedule that both parents
must abide by. If the parents can be amicable and communicate effectively
then the agreement will not be extremely detailed and the parents can
have jurisdiction and propose times and other small issues themselves.

As with
child custody agreements and all other family-related matters, the
courts will rule in favor of the child's best interests. The court will propose a visitation schedule that protects the child's
well-being. In cases where the child is old enough to cognitively make
rational decisions, the courts will take into account their preferences.

When will the court modify a visitation order?

One common issue that arises with cases of this nature is that one parent
fails to abide by the agreement and refuses visitation to the other parent
or does not return the child at the determined time. When these matters
arise the parents may have to go back to court to resolve their differences
or seek legal counsel to help enforce the visitation agreement in place.

Some valid circumstances for visitation modification would be:

Failure to follow the visitation schedule

Failure to return the child at the designated time

Immoral influence or illegal teachings being exposed to the child

A parent being convicted of crime

If you are looking to establish or modify a visitation agreement, speak
with a Denver family attorney at our firm as soon as possible. Visitation
schedules can be modified as well if there are significant changes in
circumstances. These circumstances must be new evidences to the court,
not factors that have been dredged up in past proceedings.

Types of Visitation Agreements

There are several types of visitation, including:

Unsupervised Visitation — This is the most common type of visitation agreement and it is
only awarded if the non-custodial parent has no history of violence, abuse,
neglect, alcohol or drug dependency or a criminal record. Unsupervised
visitation means that the parent can take their child to their home residence,
or out to enjoy any type of appropriate activity during their allotted
visitation time. In some cases, the court will place restrictions. For
example, if the child is an infant, the father may be asked to visit the
baby at the mother's home until the child is accustomed to drinking from
a bottle and is not fully dependent on breast-feeding.

Supervised Visitation— When the courts supervised visitation, it is usually because the non-custodial
parent is not completely trustworthy or poses a small threat of danger
to the child either emotionally or physically. In cases of this nature,
the courts will have another individual present during the allotted times
of visitation to act as a supervisor and oversee things. In some cases
a grandparent or close friend can act as the supervisor or, in more severe
cases, the court will appoint the visitation to occur at a specified neutral
location and have a social worker supervise the visit.

Virtual Visitation— This is another alternative type of visitation that the court will award
if the parent is unable to physically meet with the child. With these
specific cases, the parent and child may visit by means of the internet
including Skype, email, instant messenger or video chat of some sort.
This scenario is never ideal, but it works for long distance custody arrangements
and things of that nature.

Jones Law Firm, PC: Fighting to Keep Your Family Close

As a parent, we understand that it is your innate desire to spend quality
time with your child and to be intimately involved with their life. No
parent wants to miss their child growing up. This is why
matters of custody and visitation are so crucial. If you are looking to establish or modify a visitation agreement, we
are here to help!

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.